Beauty of a Mad Mind
by PickurePoison01
Summary: Among the desolation &misery of the dying world, a young girl& War Boy meet &over time, their friendship blooms into an unintention. But once Ataraxy is chosen to be a Breeder, Wife of Joe, everything she knows is turned upside down. But Imperator Furiosa has a plan, to take the Wives to the Green Place. Hearing of her disappearance, Nux will do anything to get Ataraxy back. Nux/OC


**AN: Alright, so I just watched Mad Max: Fury Road on Sunday, and I want to make an eventual story out of this. My Muse is out of control right now because I am just a huge Nicholas Hoult fan and I absolutely adored his character in the movie: Nux. Once this movie is released on DVD at the end of the summer I will more than likely continue this.**

 **This story takes place long before the timeline of the movie.**

 **Let me know what you guys think so I know whether or not to continue with the direction I'm going. Review and enjoy!**

The hot sun of the desert was long gone in the night, the towering rock build of the Citadel hovering over its citizens. Mounds of sand littered the region, most of their residents already slumbering before what awaited them in next blistering day. Some lamps and lanterns lit the tiny openings of the mountainous towers, shadows dancing back and forth to illuminate the late night inhabitants. Cooler winds of the evening wafted through the shafts of the strongholds, sand grains trickling over each other and forming their own creations on the ground. A large mud pit wallowed under the Great Pipes, that week's water summons already over and done with. It would be another week before anyone would be able to get a chance to collect their teardrops of water for their survival. If people weren't awake at first sight of the godly sun to stack under the Great Pipes, then those who were late more than likely died of dehydration.

But the night was oddly cooler than the rest, and as most of the Citadelian's slumbered, all but one stirred amongst the sands.

Her breathing was so frantic; she thought she was going to pass out. She couldn't even decipher how long she had been running for, though her instincts were guiding her at that point. She may have been built for surviving the long desert days of running and foraging, but that was long out of question when she ran for what little life she had already lived. The thirteen year old looked over her shoulder, seeing two shadows of the night hot on her tail. She whimpered under her breath and glared forward, pumping her arms and legs faster to desperately gain the upper hand. Her lean legs dodged her body back and forth through the forest of tiny sand mounds; her tiny feet careful not to step on anyone's lovely abode. Soon, she was running up against the humongous base of the Citadel's towers, her fingers brushing up against the hard sandstone.

"Get back here, girl!" One of the shadows shouted, making the girl's heart erupt into her throat. His voice was too close for comfort, and she didn't even want to look over her shoulder to see how close they were. Keeping her eyes set on her destination, her bare feet continued to beat into the warm sand in attempts to get her away from her perpetrators.

Her long scarf had been getting snagged on something by the feel of its tug on her small throat. She knew those shadows behind her were grabbing out at her, "You're not going to get away!"

Sprinting around the next corner, the girl ducked into the sleuths and just by sheer knowledge of her surroundings, her legs took her to her secret hiding place. Aching to the point of passing out, the edges of her discolored eyes began to grow black. But just in front of her a small hole awaited her arrival and she toughed out the last few seconds, diving into the sand and landing with a grunt. Her fingers clawed out in front of her as she crawled, desperately trying to get her entire body inside before her imminent capture. Sand flew up in between her fingers and her scarf caught under her knees, practically choking her as she went.

She screamed when a hand wrapped around her ankle, "You're not getting the fuck away this time!"

A searing burn sliced through her calf, her eyes instantly watering as she let out another cry. The painful cry echoed through the hole in the sandstone, her own scream nearly making her deaf. She could feel the warmth of her blood trickling out of the wound, and she looked back to see a knife, thrust into her skin. Her eyes then widened when she felt herself beginning to be dragged from her safe haven. Sand rolled up into her shirt and her fingers frantically tried to find something to grab onto.

"Her blood tastes mighty good!" One of the shadows crowed.

"Mighty tasty she'll be!" The other laughed manically.

The girl heard a gurgle outside the entrance to her small cave and her body came to a halt. "Oye!? What the bloody-!" Her ankle was let loose and she took that moment to briskly pull every one of her limbs back into the crevice. On her rump, she backtracked all the way to the back of the fissure and only stopped when the wall halted her any further. A few grunts, grumbles, and gags came from the mouths of her perpetrators, but it was virtually quiet, whatever had been going on.

She clamped her arms around her knees that rested against her chest, her body shaking and her weary eyes wet with tears. She wheezed and sobbed, staring at the doorway to her safe haven as she saw a shadow of the moonlight approaching. She didn't know exactly what had happened outside, and whether or not the blood in the sand was really hers.

"You're safe now." A new voice called, much calmer and less masculine than the shadows that had been chasing her. The figure crouched down and a dark face peered in through the grotto, "How the hell did you manage to fit through here, are you a rat?"

At that time, she deciphered that the voice was no man speaking to her, but it was that of a boy, maybe about her age. She sucked in a breath and tried to calm herself, "A-are you alone?"

"That I am." The boy said, "Are you gonna come out or stay in that tiny hole the entire night?"

Hesitant for a few mere moments, the girl unclasped her arms around her legs and tipped forward, her fingers digging into the sand. Her calf roared in pain and she sucked in a tight breath, pausing and closing her eyes to try and eat the pain in one go. Rather than causing herself misery every time she used her wounded bits, she dragged her dead leg in the warm sand behind her. Slowly but sure, she poked her head through the opening and the moonlight lit the figure in front of her was that of which she had wondered: a young man staring down at her. At the sight of his bald head and purely white complexion, her eyes stared at him in awe.

"You... you're a War Boy." The girl put her hands out and pressed her forehead in the back of them, her nose touching the sand in a bow, "Forgive my staring."

"Stand to your feet." The War Boy leaned down and grabbed her arm, helping her stand to her sandy feet. She gasped and leaned into him, her eyes beginning to water again in pure pain and agony. The War Boy looked down at her bleeding leg, the blood of her wound cascading along her foot and into the sand. He frowned, "Didn't realize they got ahold of you."

"It's alright, it only hurts a little." She whispered, taking that moment to observe her surroundings. In surprise, she stared at the two dead bodies of the shadows that had chased her for such a long time. Their blood pooled around them in a muddled pit, but with only the light of the moon above her, she could not make out their fatal wounds.

A loud howl of the night caused her heart to sink.

"They are going to send more after me," She gripped the War Boy's arms tightly, "I-I need to get out of here!"

The War Boy looked over his shoulder, trying to interpret any close movement about them. He huffed and looked back down at the girl, "Follow me, I can get you somewhere safe."

The girl nervously stared at him, not knowing for sure whether or not she could trust him. But she couldn't waste any more time; she had to deal with what had been brought before her: a War Boy who didn't belong in a place like in which they stood. Her lips quivered as she stared at him, "Take me."

In a split second, the War Boy helped lead her away, the girl limping behind him as fast as she could. He would often run quickly before her as if scouting, but would immediately return to her side and stare over his shoulder to make sure no one was hot on their tail. The War Boy led her around one of the tremendous pillars, and to the girls utter surprise, a hidden stairwell awaited them. "Come on!" He called to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, the other yanking her other arm over his shoulder.

He practically carried her up the stairs, but the War Boy's own thoughts struck him at the thought of her wounded leg. If the perpetrators followed a blood trail, then not only would his secret stairwell be compromised, but the girl surely would be found and had with whatever the men would do to her. He had come this far to save her hide, so letting her die under his watch was no option. But he was a War Boy, and no commoner was going to lay a hand on him without feeling the wrath of Immortan Joe.

Finally, he had come to his destination, a large slab of sandstone hanging from the main pillar of the Citadel. It was practically a cliff edge, but it was a safe haven, nonetheless. The War Boy gently set the girl down against the base of the Citadel pillar, her eyes shaking with fear and exhaustion. His ghostly white fingers gently tugged on her leg, his eyes desperately trying to observe the severity of the wound. He grunted in annoyance and peeled the backpack off his lean back; his fingers prying open the flaps as he searched around for his items. He pulled a handful of dirty rags from it and slapped them down on the slab, tossing his backpack to the side. The girl winced as he wrapped the long rag around the sliced flesh of her calf, but he ignored her pain and continued to tie it tightly to spare herself more blood loss.

"What is your name, girl?" He asked, his eyes staring into hers. There was hesitation in her response, but she managed to mutter out a response,

"Ataraxy... the Wandering."

"Ataraxy the Wandering." He repeated with a slight laugh, "Such a fit name for you."

Ataraxy stared at the War Boy, taking in his features now that they were in the bright light of the moon hovering in the sky. He bore the same qualities as the other War Boys of Immortan Joe's army. He had no hair, only a bald head; she wondered if he was born bald or if he was like everyone else and his features were altered at a different point in time. His skin was painted white, typical of War Boy status, and the rims around his eyes were muddled with a dark shade. He was shirtless, to say the least, and the only clothing he wore were a pair of baggy combat pants and boots that went along with it. By what she could see, there were no brands yet given from his superiors; his skin was virtually untouched. He was easily a good three to four inches taller than her, and the build of his body was very lean, yet muscular. But in the moonlight, his incredibly bright blue eyes shimmered like water, and what she imagined the oceans of yesterday used to look like.

"May I ask, War Boy," She addressed formally, eyeing his fingers that worked expertly at dressing her laceration, "What were you doing below...? You're not allowed to walk amongst the commoners without your War Party."

"My name is Nux." He corrected for a moment, leaning back on his rump and sitting down in front of her, "And I do whatever I damn well please. As much as I love my family above, I can't stay in such a stuffy place for so long."

Nux stared at the wounded girl before her, admiring her beauty. She had sandy blonde hair, almost brown for the take, most of it covered by her hood and scarf. Her lean body sat tiredly, her four limbs exposed from under a thin dress clasped to her frame. Her round face and voluptuous lips brought together such interesting facial features, and her eyes were what he admired the most. He was intrigued by them, and Nux's brow furrowed as he leaned in closer to observe them, "Your eyes... I've never seen a person with two different colored eyes before."

Ataraxy looked away as if ashamed by her one blue, one green eye, "They get me in a lot of trouble sometimes..."

"And why is that?" He asked curiously, and at the thought of it, he grew curious about her pursuit, "What were those men after you for?"

Ataraxy looked at him, her eyes glistening in the moonlight, "I ran away from my home a couple days ago. They noticed me by the color of my eyes." She covered one eye with her dirty hand and pouted.

"Well, it might be wise not to run away."

"Easy for you to say," She said annoyed at such a pampered boy who lived in a rather astounding lifestyle, "Coming from a boy who can drink and eat whenever he pleases."

"How old are you?" He dodged Ataraxy's response and tilted his head curiously, "You look young, maybe about my age."

"I'm... almost sixteen." Ataraxy shifted a bit uncomfortably under the War Boy's crystal gaze, "How old are you?"

"Almost eighteen." Nux grinned, "Just about old enough to go out on my first War Party on the Fury Road."

Ataraxy stared out at the midnight sky, the cluster of stars overhead making her eyes light up with astonishment. Nux took notice to the amazed look on her face and he looked over his shoulder, staring at the stars above them. He laughed under his breath, "You like the view from here?"

"I'm not allowed to go out into the desert at night." Ataraxy said while her eyes were fixed on the heavens as she got to her feet. Nux watched her carefully as she limped past him towards the edge of the cliff, her scarf blowing behind her from a rebellious wind, "I've seen the stars above the Citadel amongst the towers in which you live. But these... I've never seen so many."

"One of the many reasons why I often come here." Nux stood next to her, his own eyes dazed at the atmosphere, "Makes me feel free."

"I can imagine so," Ataraxy said, "Mind if I...?"

"Of course." Nux nodded at her once she saw him motion for herself to sit. Ataraxy stammered as she tried to sit down, Nux grabbing her arm, "I would feel awful if I went through all that saving you to have you falling off a cliff before my eyes."

"Thank you." She rested her hands on her lap and stared off into the ocean of sand as far as her eyes could see. Nux sat down next to her, dangling his legs off the edge just as Ataraxy had. Ataraxy looked over at him, "You said you were almost old enough to traverse the Fury Road. What did you want to do out there? Lancer? Bomber?"

"I want to drive the Fury Road." He said proudly, his eyes still looking at the sky, "I'm going to be the best driver out there, and I want to be Joe's personal guard. I want to be the strongest of the strong."

"That is a very grand dream."

"Grand it is," Nux nodded and looked over at her, "But that is my purpose; that is what I want to be."

"Don't you think you have a greater purpose other than being sent out to die?"

"They don't call us War Boys for the laugh, Doll." Nux smiled heartedly, making Ataraxy blush and lightly hide her face from his view, "But I live, I die, and live again to serve the king."

"Why would you save a commoner like me?" She wavered, "It is unlike something I've heard before."

"Well, if you were an adult I wouldn't have." He confessed, "But, you looked young at what I could see. The unnecessary bloodshed? There is no need for that."

"Well I... thank you again." She nodded and fiddled with her ragged scarf, "I wish I could repay you, I can't say I have anything of value."

"Oh, but you do." Nux turned a bit to face her, putting his hands on the ground in front of him so he could lean towards her with a smile, "I enjoy your company, even if you don't talk that much."

"My company?" She repeated in a bit of confusion, "That is something that has no worth from a person like me."

"Oh, but it does." Nux finally flipped his legs in front of himself and crisscrossed them, "I tell you what... every other night, you meet me here to keep each other company, and we'll call it even. I don't get to take pleasure in the camaraderie of my peers."

Ataraxy stared into his blue eyes, seeing nothing ominous about his presence. She was wary about him before he had confirmed her safety, but now, after getting to speak a few words to him, she oddly felt comfortable and protected. She had not felt that way for so long. Nux's enthusiasm was something she admired about him, for only knowing him for a short period of time. "So is it a deal?"

Nux outstretched his hand towards her and Ataraxy stared at it for a few moments. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out and brushed her hand into his. He gently shook it a couple times, and in those very few seconds, Ataraxy's hand lit up under his warmth. Even being shirtless, he was still so warm in the cool night air, "I will do my best to come here. I'm not allowed out after dark."

"Come now..." Nux jumped to his feet and outstretched his hand once more, "Let me help you back to your dwelling."

Ataraxy grabbed his hand and he hoisted her to her feet with complete ease. He noticed how sloppily she was balancing on her feet, her laceration now bleeding through the rags he set in place. By the way he was watching her walk, he knew there was no way he would make it back to his quarters in a timely matter after he escorted his new acquaintance to her residence. Annoyance tugged at his face and he turned around, propping down on one knee and leaning over himself, "Jump on, Ataraxy."

"Are you sure? If you lead me down the stairs, I'm sure I can make it back by myself."

"Nonsense," He shook his head, "If I leave you now, you'll most surely be picked off by Desert Dogs."

Ataraxy leaned forward and pressed herself up against his naked back, his warmth breathing through her clothes and onto her own skin. Nux hooked his arms under her legs and Ataraxy draped her arms over his shoulders, lazily clasping her hands together. Nux lifted her off the ground and he was somewhat surprised, "A lot lighter than I thought you would be."

"I've lost a lot of weight over the past couple months." She said as she rested her chin on her shoulder, Nux beginning to descend down the stairs, "I know I'm easily skinnier than I used to be."

"How come? Are you sick?"

"No I-" Ataraxy paused for a moment and rubbed the balls of her fingers together, "I was traded for food and water to be a slave to who I was exchanged to. They aren't too kind to me. They starve me mostly to feed themselves."

"Is that why you ran away?" Nux asked, his booted feet meeting the familiar ground of sand, "Because they treat you so horribly?"

"Yes... I try to endure it but I get so hungry and thirsty all the time, which results in me stealing and sometimes getting caught..."

"Do they beat you?" The word left a bad taste in his mouth as he asked. He felt her try to shift on his back, more than likely because she was uncomfortable answering the question.

"Every so often..." She whispered back to him tiredly.

Ataraxy directed Nux quietly through the wilderness of the desert and he kept close to the main pillars of the Citadel. He could feel her blood beginning to stain his pure white complex through the cloth he tied around her calf. Nux wondered if she would be able to properly dress the wound and keep it clean. Just in case she didn't, and if he she kept his promise to meet every other night, he would try to bring her some medical supplies he would sneak from The Organic Mechanic. And maybe, just maybe, a little surprise if he could manage.

She stopped him where he stood and pointed to a dip in the smallest pillar of the Citadel, "That's it, that's where it's at."

"Well I will take you there."

"No, please." She wriggled her legs out of his grasp and plopped onto the sand, gasping at the burning sensation in her leg. Ataraxy quickly dismissed it, "I don't want them to see you. If they do they can tell someone and it can eventually get back to Immortan Joe. So from here I can take care of myself."

"Are you sure?" Nux asked once more and she gave a nod to answer, "Well then, Ataraxy, this is where we part ways till next time."

"Raxy." She smiled back at him, "You can call me Raxy."

"Be careful on your way, Raxy."

Raxy turned around and limped through the desert sand towards the dwelling in the sandstone. She dreaded what waited for her in her return; the men that were sent after her obviously had orders to bring her back dead _or_ alive. But if she presented herself, then maybe they would spare her life and not kill her. She looked over her shoulder after a couple minutes, not seeing Nux anywhere in sight. He sure was a mysterious boy, and it was certainly the first time she had ever actually met a War Boy, or seen one up close, rather. She wondered if they were all like him or if he were a one of a kind. Killing the though and turning back around, realizing she was now too close for comfort, Raxy sighed and gathered whatever courage she had and began her way into the cavern lit by a lantern.

Her fingers brushed along the wall as she walked, and as she furthered into the cavern, she could hear the voices of her Masters. Her heart began to pound in her ears, her feet nearing her to them by the second. Alas, she turned the corner and stared at the Masters: one man and one woman, "She better not had gotten away, she's worth so much!"

"Aye," The haggard, disgustingly dirty mad nodded, his one eye focused on his wife, "Better be expectin' a corpse at this hour. They've been gone forever."

"No matter." The woman waved her wrinkled hand at her husband, "Not many 'round here that have two different colored eyes. Askin' 'round ain't no problem, and she ain't dumb enough to surpass the pillars and go into the desert alone at this hour. 'Specially how hot the days are."

Raxy half wanted to wheel around and take off once again, never looking back. Maybe she could find Nux and convince him to take her to the Citadel with him. But it was such a far walk back to the secret stairwell; not to mention she was wounded in her strong leg. She wouldn't make it far in her condition and surely wouldn't make it back to the secret stairwell. Alas, Raxy stepped further into the grotto, her leg buckling under her in a slight limp as she went. At the sound of her approach, the Masters awfully twisted faces turned in her direction, and at the sight of her, Raxy's heart finally dropped in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes went black and her head throbbed as she felt her body plop down into the sand of the floor. Her jaw locked and she tried to move it, but her muscles wouldn't comply as she tried to muffle out a scream. She felt a hand grab the collar of her dress, as well as her scarf, and hoist her on her rump, "Run away from us will ya!?"

Raxy felt a palm slap her across the face, her skin burning still burning from the first blow she had taken, "We pay good for you, you stay and do what you were made to do!"

The Master mother smacked Raxy across the face once again, watching as blood began to trickle from her nostril. Master father dragged her across the sand of their dwelling towards the place in which she slept, ignoring the fact that her scarf was beginning to choke her. Her fingers clawed at the scarf as she choked out for him to stop, but he didn't listen, only yanked on her. Raxy's body finally came to a stop and she opened her blue eye, her green eye already starting to swell from the extremely brutal blow she received a few moments prior. Master father grabbed her by the neck and easily lifted her up, tossing her into the quarters. She landed with a thud and her mouth gaped open as she struggled to breathe.

"You try that again I'll make sure of it you're killed next time!" His bony finger pointed at her. He twiddled his lips and spit toward her, the nasty saliva landing next to her head.

Master father disappeared from sight and the murmurs between him and Master mother commenced. Raxy stared at the ceiling, a veil of tears beginning to cascade from the corners of her eyes. Her swollen eye twitched and as she brought her fingers to touch the broken sight, she could feel blood beginning to stain her numb skin. She huffed and slowly sat up, a migraine erupting in her head and causing her belly to turn over with nausea. The warmth of her tears mixed with the blood and dripped onto her clothing. As much as she tried, she couldn't keep it together and burst out into tears once more, her arms drawing her knees to her chest as she buried her face in them. she wanted to run as far away as she could; she wanted to go into the depths of the desert and never return, whether she found refuge in Bullet Farm or Gas Town, it didn't matter.

Nux crossed her mind once more and the thought of him made her hysteria subside for a few moments. Her fingers caressed the fabric of the old rags wrapped around her calf, feeling how soaked they were with her blood. She couldn't see the severity of the laceration, so she ignored it and crawled to the make shift bed she was given. In the morning, she would do her best by the sunlight to dress her wound or risk infection and death.

 **.:=:.**

The two days passed by so slowly.

Worked like a dog, day in and out, Ataraxy was damn near at wits end by the end of the second day, which just so happened to be the nigh night where Nux said he wanted her to meet him once more. She oddly looked forward to it, but there was a part of her that said he was only toying with her. She often contradicted herself about the thought of him; she wondered why he was so nice to her. But then again, she had never met a War Boy to know what they were truly like.

Washing her wound with what little water she had, she wrapped it back up in the same rags that Nux had given her. Raxy looked out of her abode to see the Masters conversing with one another. Her dominant blue eye glimmered in the light of the oil-lit lantern, her finger pulling her scarf up over the bridge of her nose. She tugged on her hood and made sure it draped over her forehead before she turned around and retreated back into her dark dwell. Raxy looked over her shoulder one last time before she removed a ragged blanket from the ground around the back wall of the room. There was a divot of sand underneath and Raxy's hands got to work, digging away all the sand from the hole. She finally clawed the grains out of the tunnel she had created long before that moment. It was mostly used as an escape route to sneak out and she kept it hidden most of the day.

Remembering she had made it look like her bed was full, Ataraxy finally scuttled into her escape route, making sure to close herself in do the Masters wouldn't find out about it. Using her hands, she carefully guided herself through the darkness of the tunnel, skittering quickly when she felt unable to breathe. Raxy broke through the other side, gasping for a deep breath through the dirty scarf wrapped around her damaged face. She pulled her body to level ground and wheeled around in a crouch, covering up the hole with the sand she pushed herself out of. Placing a rock on the top of the small mound so she knew where it was, Raxy then turned and limped her way towards the secret stairwell.

Ataraxy circled around the pillar towards the area she remembered the secret stairwell being. It was mostly hidden by just the sheer color and structure of the sandstone, virtually invisible in the day. But at night, a way could be found if the person knew what they were looking for. She scanned her dark surroundings to make sure no one was following her, and upon seeing no bodies about, Raxy hobbled her way towards the sandy stairs. A twinge of uncertainty hit her as she stared at the tall stairway, remembering how tall it was. Nux helped her up when they went, and down the same way in the same night. A pout played on her lips; she had to walk up all of them by herself with a gimp.

Raxy then pushed the thought from her head. If she was strong enough to live with the Masters, she was strong enough to make it up a bunch of stairs.

The walk was tough, and every so often, she had to stop and catch her breath. Cursing at her wounded limb, which throbbed monstrously, she bit through the pain and continued on her way, keeping one hand on the wall just in case she tripped. The staircase seemed so much longer and steeper when she was by herself, which made it just that much more intimidating. But alas, she reached the top without any serious complications to her health. The Citadel tower was utterly tall, so charging up to its half way point was a journey in and of its own.

Ataraxy took a moment to peer over the last few stairs to see if she could get a visual of Nux before he saw her. But as she looked, she noticed that he was nowhere to be seen. Confused, she ascended the last few stairs and stared about the slab of sandstone, trying to make out his figure anywhere. There was less moonlight than the couple nights before, so seeing him directly wasn't a good possibility. Raxy continued to walk towards the edge of the sandstone, her blue eye still trying to seek out the young War Boy. Upon not seeing him, she let out a sigh and dropped to her knees, leaning her hip on the ground to sit. She shook her head, feeling the sinking sensation begin to overcome her belly.

"I should've known better." She whispered to herself. Lifting her head, her watery eye stared at the oceanic spectacle of astronomy that lingered above the earth she lived on. A warm wind came from the north and dried her eyes some, as if trying to cheer her up in a way.

"Didn't actually think you would show up." Raxy was scared out of her wits at the familiar voice that broke the silence around her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Nux standing behind her with a curious stare about him. She wondered why his expression looked so interested all the time; she wasn't that interesting to stare at, was she? "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright." Raxy said holding her hand above her heart and trying to rest her alertness. Nux feverishly strode up next to her, dropping to his knees, and eventually, his backside. He stripped his bag off his back and slapped it down in front of him.

"I brought you some things."

"Things?" She asked, her interest instantly piqued at the thought of a gift. Raxy leaned a bit forward, trying to gaze into the pit of his bag in which he was rustling.

"Here." Nux slipped a canteen from his bag, Raxy staring at it in a bit of awe. Nux's brow furrowed at her look, "Do you not want it?"

"You brought me water?" She asked with wonder. Water was the most prized possession of their being, and he was just _giving it to her_.

"Well, of course," He said nonchalantly and glanced back down at his bag, "You said you don't drink or eat often. I brought you a small bit of food, and some stuff to help out your leg."

"Really?" She said once more, her voice still in disbelief, "All for me?"

"Well of course." He nodded with a small smile, "Anything that would keep you keeping me company longer."

"That is very kind of you." She said through the scarf still clasped around her face.

Finally, Nux took noticed to the entire right side of her face being covered, not only by her hood, but her scarf as well. His face contorted in perplexity as he stared, "Why is your face all covered up?"

Raxy shook her head at him, a few of her dirty blonde bangs tickling her brow, "I-it's really nothing."

Nux reached his hand out towards her, his fingers brushing against the thin garb that covered her face. She felt him tug at it and the fabric beginning to slide across her skin. Almost grabbing his hand to stop him, she kept her arm at her side, wanting him to see what had happened to her. A vision of the Masters dead by his hands made the corner of her mouth tug a smile briefly. But with shame, she closed her eyes as she felt the scarf drop, hearing Nux huff to himself with dissatisfaction. She opened her blue eye, and her green eye halfway to stare back at him. Even in the absence of the intense moonlight, the blue eyes he had seemed to glow in the dark.

Nux stared at the broken side of her face with displeasure, his fingers twitching in disappointment. The right side of her face was mostly bruised, her green eye swollen to the point where she could only open it halfway. Her top lip was split at the corner and a thick bruise stretched from the bottom of her jaw all the way up to her temple. The sandy blonde hair under her hood was dark with dry blood, as well as her hood and scarf. He wondered what exactly she endured when she returned to her dwelling and what exactly she looked like as it occurred. But at the thought of the sight of such a beautiful creature being tormented, it made even his skin crawl.

"You are truly a sight to behold," He exclaimed, not addressing her afflictions directly, "You weren't lying when you said they mistreated you."

"Yes," She said, avoiding eye contact with him, "Master father and mother were most unruly."

"You never told me the other night." Nux made himself more comfortable as he crossed his legs once more, "What you wanted to be when you became of age."

Raxy put a thought to it and her mind went blank for a moment, "I guess I've never really thought about it."

"You could always be a Grower." Nux said with a tilt of his bald head, "That way you could sneak all the food you want, or maybe a Pumper for the Great Pipes... or maybe a Breeder."

"A _Breeder_ ," Raxy scrunched her nose and shook her head at the bad taste the word left, "I don't think I could become a Wife of Immortan Joe."

"But you are quite beautiful." Nux said nonchalantly, causing Raxy to blush in the night, "You could live a life of grand luxury and become a Mother. Better that than live on the ground."

"As much as I would love living that life, I don't think I would be happy."

"And you're happy in the way you live now?" Nux protested, that always curious look still stuck on his face.

"I see you point..." Raxy said after a moment of silence on her end. Her broken eyes looked up at the sky once more and she stood to her feet, "I want to see what the world looks like outside the Citadel. I want to venture beyond Gas Town and Bullet Farm to see what is on the other side of this never-ending sand. There has to be more than what there is here. There just has to be."

"And what if there isn't?" Nux asked and she looked down at him,

"Then I can arrive in Valhalla knowing I at least tried."

"Let me help you." Nux said with enthusiasm as he got to his feet, standing next to her. He looked down at the heterochromatic eyes, "Once I become the greatest War Boy driver that ever lived, I will drive you through the Fury Road, across the desert to where you seek your dream."

"Doing that means rebelling against the will of Immortan Joe."

"I will find a way." Nux nodded and looked back up at the sea of stars, "I will never rebel against Joe's will, but I will find a way, find a reason to traverse across the desert."

Raxy marveled at Nux's determination and the way his blue eyes seemed to flicker like an unsettling fire. The radiant strength that seeped off his body was contagious, and being next to him, Raxy felt like she could stand up to anything that was in her way. She looked down to the old canteen still clasped in her hand, her other hand reaching over and uncapped it. Lifting it up, she tipped her head back and took a swig of it, some of it dribbling from the corner of her mouth and off the tip of her jaw. Raxy capped the canteen and wiped her face with the back of her hand, looking over at Nux. A small smile drew on her lips, "Nux, can you make me a promise?"

"A promise?" He echoed and looked back down at her. She nodded,

"Can you promise you'll make my dream come true?"


End file.
